Here is a system that any gambler, and if you are a regular lottery player that includes you, should know about playing - and winning - the numbers games.

The secret of winning: money management.

You must put money in your own pocket to win. Merely putting winnings back into the game is not really winning.

Setting a Budget:

A dirty word for some people, but essential if you want to be able to succeed in putting lottery money in your own pocket.

Start by setting aside a certain amount of money to play that you can afford to lose. Then set a time period, or play cycle. That could be a few days, week or longer. Let's say you have set your period for a week and have $70 ($10 a day) to spend. You then decide how you want to allocate that. For this example let's say you want to spend it all on the three-digit numbers.

Don't bet straight numbers. The odds are just too high and you would need an unworkably long time for your play cycle. Don't bet all your money the same night. You wouldn't walk into a casino and plunk down your whole bankroll on one blackjack hand would you? Instead, play boxed bets using a boxing system for $5 or $10 each day.

Set Win Goals and Loss Limits for yourself.

Your Loss Limit is the more important of the two. It should not be more than 50% of your budget for that game for the week ($35 for our example) or three consecutive days of losses. If you haven't hit anything in three numbers drawings then your system just isn't working. Wait until next week or time period when the game will slightly different. You may have to modify your system according to the way the game is behaving and this breather will give you a chance to do that.

Your Win Goal should be realistic. Try 100%. That means that if you are up 100% over what you budgeted ($140 for our example) for that game - stop playing until the next week or time period. Think about it. No professional gambler would expect to win $1,000 with $70 in any game, and they know a heck of a lot more than you do. So play the averages with boxed bets using boxing systems. If you want to win more; add more money to your starting budget and play $2 or $3 per bet. But remember, only play with money you can afford to lose.

Now, here's a tip for picking that new play cycle. Wait until the next time the game looks winnable to begin your next time period. These games change all the time, so you shouldn't have a long delay.

How to make a profit:

In the 3-digit game let's say you bet a $10 boxing system ($1 on each number boxed). It covers five of the ten digits in the game. On the first two nights you get a few digits but no winners. On the third night you play the same system, so you are now down to $0 in your bankroll for this game. If this one doesn't come in you will have three losses in a row and must walk away for the rest of the week or until the game looks different. But on this night you get a boxed hit that pays $80.

You now put half of the winnings ($40) in your pocket as a profit. You will not play with this money. The other half goes back into the game's bankroll making that $80. Then you miss the next two days and on the sixth day you have another boxed hit. Like before, half goes into your pocket to be used for other things and half back into the game bankroll. But now you have surpassed the 100% Win Goal, so you rest on the seventh day, just like th Lord intended.

After six days you will have a profit of $80 in your pocket and your game bankroll will be $90. Go spend the profit on whatever you like - other than lottery.

The following week only use the original $70 to play the game instead of the $90 that is available. That extra money will help carry you through those dry spots that we all encounter from time to time.

Also remember to limit your losses. Like the week before, quit after three losses or when the bankroll reaches 50% of the original $70. Also quit when the $70 bankroll plus profits grow to $140 or higher.

Money management works - if you have the discipline to follow the rules. Who says winning is easy?